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Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is an advanced imaging tool that produces high-quality 3D images. It employs a strong magnetic field and radio wave pulses to visualize the internal structures of the body. MRI captures the movement of water molecules in the tissues, which provides the detailed anatomy of that region. Hence, MRI is an effective imaging modality for observing soft tissues.
Generally, during emergency/STAT conditions, X-ray is the preferred imaging modality as it is simple to perform and rapid. However, a major drawback of X-ray imaging is its lack of ability to visualize soft tissues. Using MRI during emergency/STAT conditions can mitigate this issue by providing rapid diagnostic images of soft tissues. By making certain adaptations to the routine process, MRI can be performed to rapidly obtain a diagnosis during emergency/STAT cases.
MRI Brain:
MRI imaging for the brain is one of the most common MRIs performed at emergency departments. It is used to detect acute neurological deficits in a limited amount of time. It is further divided into subtypes like diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), ADC maps, basic T1/T2, and FLAIR. Using a Brain MRI, radiologists can detect cerebral blood flow, cellular metabolism, bloodâbrain barrier, intracranial pressure, and inflammatory response. Brain MRI is effective in confirming or excluding acute stroke, differentiating ischemic from hemorrhagic pathology (when CT is equivocal), and detecting early brain injury that is not visible on CT. It is especially preferred in the diagnosis of wake-up strokes and posterior circulation strokes.
MRI Angiography:
This type of MRI is used to visualize the arterial abnormalities in the blood vessels. MRI angiography is typically prescribed when the patient reports acute stroke, neck pain (typically observed due to neurological deficits), or suspected arterial dissection. Based on the suspected condition, MRI angiography can be performed as a general or contrast-enhanced procedure. For emergency cases, MRI angiography is typically performed to guide thrombectomy or serve as interventional guidance for anticoagulation. Typical conditions diagnosed using MRI angiography are acute ischemic stroke, sudden focal neurological deficit, severe headache (âthunderclap headacheâ), neck pain with neurological symptoms, young stroke patient with few risk factors, and unexplained intracranial hemorrhage.
MRI for Infection/Inflammation:
MRI for infection or inflammation is performed to detect inflammatory or foreign activity at the tissue or cellular level. Although infections can be observed at the macroscopic level, MRI is used to detect infections before they turn into large-scale systemic infections. It is also used to differentiate between infections due to ischemia, tumor, trauma, or metabolic causes. At the physiological level, several complications can occur, such as the bloodâbrain barrier, capillary permeability, restricted diffusion, pus formation, tissue liquefaction, and reactive inflammation. Infection/inflammation MRI is an excellent tool for the detection of early parenchymal edema, cytotoxic versus vasogenic edema, abscess formation, meningeal involvement, ventricular lining inflammation, epidural or paraspinal collections, bone marrow infection, soft-tissue inflammatory spread, etc.
When a patient arrives at a medical care unit, an on-site physician attends to the patient.
The patient is categorized under routine, urgent, or emergency /STAT type.
The patientâs clinical data, such as signs and symptoms, medical history, pre-existing conditions, ongoing medication, etc.
In emergency/STAT cases, the physician might provide first aid if necessary.
After the necessary assessments (or first aid) are provided, the physician refers the patient for a radiological examination.
For emergency cases, the selected imaging modality must be targeted, simple, and completed in a short time. (In this case, the selected imaging modality is MRI.)
Generally, for emergency/STAT cases, the preparations before a diagnostic are kept minimal to save crucial time.
For emergency/STAT MRI, the patientâs vitals, such as heart rate, blood pressure, and pulse, are checked.
Any metal objects on the patient must be removed before entering the MRI imaging room.
After completing the necessary preparations, the MRI radiography is carried out by an on-site radiology technician.
For emergency/STAT cases, the protocols for diagnostic imaging are already predecided.
These protocols ensure faster diagnostic procedures and fewer administrative interferences.
After the images are obtained, they are quality-checked before any further procedures.
The MRI images, along with the patientâs clinical data, are sent to Statim Healthcare for radiological reporting.
At Statim, based on the case requirements, a suitable radiologist is assigned to it.
The radiologist can be a general expert or have specific subspecializations.
The radiologist carefully analyzes the images for any indicator abnormalities. They must clearly differentiate these abnormalities from artifacts to accurately predict the indication.
The radiologist must take into consideration the patientâs relevant clinical data before forming a conclusion.
After the MRI interpretation is completed, the radiologist prepares a finalized report consisting of all the procedural, administrative, and diagnostic information.
However, preparing a finalized report is time-consuming, which is disadvantageous in emergencies.
In such cases, the radiologist prepares a preliminary report that only includes the diagnostic information relevant to making a clinical decision.
In extremely critical cases, the radiologist may communicate the results verbally or electronically, directly to the medical care provider.
The reports (finalized or preliminary) are electronically signed by the radiologist (only a licensed radiologist can sign a radiological diagnostic report).
These reports are converted into an encrypted format to maintain data privacy.
The reports are sent to the healthcare institution using the PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication System), RIS (Radiology Information System), or a secure email delivery system.
Acute ischemic stroke
Intracerebral hemorrhage
Subarachnoid hemorrhage
Diffuse axonal injury
Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy
Acute encephalitis
Acute meningitis (with complications)
Brain abscess
Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES)
Status epilepticusârelated brain injury
Acute hydrocephalus
Large vessel occlusion
Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis
Carotid artery dissection
Vertebral artery dissection
Intracranial aneurysm rupture
Arteriovenous malformation with hemorrhage
Reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome
Central nervous system vasculitis
Diffuse axonal injury
Traumatic cerebral contusions
Non-hemorrhagic traumatic brain injury
Ligamentous spinal injury
Spinal cord contusion
Traumatic disc herniation
Occult fractures
Traumatic nerve root injury
Acute spinal cord compression
Cauda equina syndrome
Spinal epidural hematoma
Spinal epidural abscess
Spinal cord infarction
Acute transverse myelitis
Pathological vertebral collapse
Encephalitis
Meningitis with complications
Brain abscess
Subdural empyema
Ventriculitis
Spinal osteomyelitis
Discitis
Septic arthritis
Pyomyositis
The following institutions can avail the emergency/STAT MRI services:
Tertiary care hospitals
Multispecialty hospitals
Government medical colleges/teaching hospitals
Academic medical centers
Trauma centers
Comprehensive stroke centers
Neuroscience/neurology institutes
Neurosurgical hospitals
Spine specialty hospitals
Oncology hospitals with emergency services
Pediatric tertiary hospitals
Womenâs hospitals with emergency imaging
Military and defense hospitals
National or regional referral hospitals
Critical care hospitals
Emergency and trauma specialty hospitals
Large private hospital networks
Public sector hospitals with MRI facilities
Advanced diagnostic hospitals with emergency tie-ups
At Statim Healthcare, we assist healthcare institutions in providing effective emergency care to their patients through subspecialty MRI reporting. We offer these services while ensuring quality expertise, consistent assistance, compliance with local and international regulations, and strict data privacy protocols.
At Statim Healthcare, we provide emergency/STAT MRI reporting online by our respective Radiologist remotely, safely & accurately to the hospitals, diagnostic clinics, and other healthcare institutions in the USA (New York, California, Florida, Texas, Washington, Ohio, Oregon, Phoenix, Arizona, Denver, Colorado, Atlanta, Georgia, Honolulu, Hawaii, Indianapolis & entire USA), India (Mumbai, Delhi, Navi Mumbai, Pune, Thane & entire India), Australia (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth) & abroad... Using subspecialty expertise, fast-track reporting, and timely, and secure data transfer, Statim aids institutions provide quality emergency care. Also, you can find us on Google, Bing, Yahoo, duckduckgo etc. as Radiologist near me OR Emergency / Stat MRI Reporting near me in USA, India, Australia & abroad.